Still Counts Sugerbear!
Vas was relaxing with a smoke in the common area next to the med bay when Jacy made her announcement. Well, that was that apparently! He lurched to his feet and made his way to the cargo bay leaving a trail of his clove-scented smoke. “Heya, where did you –“ Vas paused blinking as he took in the entire ensemble. “- You know we are on Ezra right?” He asked taking in a long pull from his black cigarette. “Not that I’m disagreeing with the view!” He amended quickly. Could you even call those pants?! How did she get in those? By jumping off the top of the ship? “You like?” Jacy did a slow spin for Vas then hooked her arm in his. “Need anything before we head out?” She was eyeing the smoking stick in his hand with displeasure. “I know where we are, Sugarbear. How bad can Ezra be with our Doctor roaming around, our Mechanic out and about and your pal Henry in the city. Riley is out there somewhere, maybe we’ll run into her. I think she likes you, as a deckhand. That’s good.” “If the known universe was a bathtub … Ezra would be the drain.” Vas chuckled. “Lesse, Doc is a quick shot, the Mechanic is a recluse and Henry is a moron.” He said counting off each one on a finger. “I also pity the ass that picks a fight with the Lieutenant.” Vas added. “Lemme grab one thing before we go …” he said rummaging in a box. “ … you think the Lieutenant likes me? Doesn't really feel like it. Got assigned the scut work, I mean granted Dim-sum’s got that Russian intimidating demeanor going for him but Dill seems to have gotten the soft work.” He shrugged pulling out the machete Thing one and the shorter Thing two acquired back on Santo. During the flight to Ezra Vas had made time to clean and sharpen the blade. “If your going out with a ‘rob me’ sign it wouldn’t hurt if had a little something extra to defend us.” He said clipping it to his belt. “Dillon needs the soft work; he has a few medical conditions. I talked to his family doctor about it before he fled the ship back on Santo. And I don’t understand what’s wrong with what I’m wearing. I have a gun strapped to my leg, how does that beg to be robbed? Are you sure you aren’t just being overprotective of me?” Jacy began them down the ramp to the dusty ground below. She looked both ways and didn’t see much, but there were a few buildings off to the left so that must be town. As they walked and talked it became clear there were quite a few buildings, but they’d been obscured by all the dust thrown into the air. “I’m glad I wore this functional hat; this sun is brutal. Do people live out here on purpose or just due to poor choices?” But as soon as she said it she wished she could take it back. Compared to the Core, Santo and Ezra had numerous similarities and Vas was from Santo. “I guess it’s not too bad once you get used to it?” “It’s bad, hardly any law, tons a’ fighting and all ruled over, informally, by Adelai Niska. Yet another planet ruined from the Unification war.” Vas explained, he took no offense from it. “Place could be called the Devils Taint and no one would bat an eye or argue otherwise.” He said as a swarm of ragamuffin children went and surrounded Jacy all cawing for a coin or a bit of candy. Vas, looking like a respectable hooligan got jilted. “I did warn ya.” “I’m sorry, I have no candy. It’s bad for your teeth and no one needs excessive sugar, unless it’s coming from this man.” Jacy goosed her manly escort. “Step back children or my man here will think you mean me harm.” Jacy patted one of the kids on the head then rubbed her fingers together before wiping them on her pants. “So where to first? I know this isn’t the nicest place for a first date, but we must make due with what we have until we have more. What do people do in port towns like this?” The kids tried to linger until Vas gave a sharp whistle. “Yuǎnlí fēngkuáng de hóuzi. (Away you crazy monkeys)” He said in a sharp tone. “Well, copious amounts of drugs, cheap bitter beer, and a brothel at every corner. Oh, look grilled rat? Hungry?” Vas said pointing out a little stand that looked like several health code violations at just a glace. There weren't exactly any sites to go to and the town was just one big dive. Besides the last time Vas was here it wasn’t to sightsee and he had been in full regalia. “No I don’t eat meat, Sugarbear. Rat still counts as meat, I think. And do you think I would put drugs in this body? That would be a professional hazard if nothing else. I know!” She tugged his arm towards the window of a saloon they were passing. “We could have a few drinks around the piano. One of these establishments is bound to have a piano, right?” She took her hat off and pressed her face against the dirty glass to peer inside. “You and me both. I was just saying what things there are to do is all.” Vas reminded.”I’m sure we can find a place with a piano, now if it works and if it’s remotely in tune … that I think is the challenge.” He said as they walked down the dusty street. Vas couldn’t help but start to notice the weird appearance of uniforms milling about. “If you play the notes fast enough, most won’t notice it’s out of tune. And if it’s out of tune everything they’ve heard is probably out of tune, they won’t know the difference. Do you play?” Jacy was rubbing Vas’ arm affectionately as they got to know one another. “You two,” came a voice from behind them, “turn around slowly.” a squad of Alliance troops was in the street just out from under the rickety awning and had either spotted Vas and Jacy’s prominent display of outfitted weaponry or just wanted a few extra seconds looking at their heines. “Real slow,” one of them iterated. For a split second, there was that old instinct (it wasn’t that old it just felt that way) and reaction for Vas to go the sw- He didn’t have a sword on his back. He didn’t have armor or a mask. So he did what he thought any reasonable person did. Obey. He gave a glance to Jacy wondering what the hell was going on. “Uh, any reason we’re being held up?” He asked what turned out to be a purple belly as he turned around real slow as requested. Jacy turned around with a bit more slink; she looked at the soldiers over her shoulder then finished the turn while fanning herself with the crisp stetson. “Good afternoon, soldiers. You represent the Core remarkably well in those uniforms.” She shook her hair out and placed the hat back on her head and gave a feline stretch. “Isn’t it a bit hot out here for stopping a young couple out on their first date?” Jacy didn’t just have Vas’s attention, but the officer, the men flanking him, the guy cooking the rat and a few passersby who slowed to take in the view from behind. Vas cleared his throat. “Ya’ll going to let us roast in the sun or is my date a person of interest?” He asked the officer a little too loudly his tone dryer than the air. “I don’t mind the interest, but I’d hate the accusation. How can we help?” “He’s your date? Ma’am, are you sure there’s nothing,” The officer began in an insulting tone, but Jacy cut him off with a series of well placed and intentional kisses to Vas’ face. She started with his lips, then his nose then his cheeks then his forehead and finished with a soft kiss to the side of his neck. “This man is mine, Officer. How can we help?” Vas instantly bristled over the accusation but Jacy proved more than capable of showing, publicly, her willingness to be on the ex-assassins arm. Maybe it was the public display, the soft lips or the sweetness behind them but it was plenty of reason for a bit of red to make their way around Vas’s ears. Either way, it more than calmed the hotheaded Vas and shut down any smart remark he may have had at the ready. “Sorry ma’am, we don’t mean to get in the way of that. We’re looking for this man,” and one of the soldiers stepped forward to show them a picture of the Lunar Veil’s mechanic. The quality was enough that Jacy had little doubt of who it was. “I don’t recognize him and can’t say I’ve seen him, but I’ve had my eyes on this one so I wouldn’t, would I? Perhaps if you had a higher resolution photo capture others may be able to identify him?” Jacy looked at Vas as if to ask if he recognized the man in the photo. “Is he considered dangerous, this man?” Vas looked at the photo and shrugged. “Don’t know him. Kind of been distracted.” He said with a glance to Jacy, even so a bit of a smile crept at the edges of his lips. “Everyone is some level of dangerous here on Ezra, what he do to get the royal treatment?” He asked the officer. It was a fair question since Alliance wasn’t a common sight on Ezra to begin with and they seemed to be crawling all over the town like ants at a picnic. “We can’t discuss that with civilians. If you see him, notify the Alliance immediately. And maybe consider getting inside. Dressed like that, the Lady might catch more than a sunburn out on these streets. Move out, squad.” The Officer had his unit sweeping down the street to harass the grilled rat vendor. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” Jacy looked down at her clothes and had to reposition the tape that held her inside her top. “It’s strong tape….” she mumbled to herself. Vas patted her hand. Buddha’s ears she was adorable. “Nuthing at all Jacy. You look a goddess among men.” He assured her as he went to guide them back to the ship. “Were going to need a rain check for that first date, think now be a good time to head back to the ship. I have a feeling we're going to need to square things right away. This many purple bellies around are going to make everyone a bit tetchy” He explained. She turned to Vas, “If they’re looking for the engineer, it won’t take them long to put two and two together. Someone will point them to the Lunar Veil and they’ll have questions for the Captain or whoever is still onboard. Might be best for us to warn them?” “With how hard they're hitting the street, I think they already know.” Vas answered. “Though it might already be too late, this much hoopla and the Veil might be landlocked by now.” “This still counts as a first date, Sugarbear. We shared a stroll, had some excitement and ONE of us got a kiss.” She locked her arm in his. “Take me home Big Daddy, I’m exhausted.” “Right you are how rude of me.” Vas said pausing and teasing a lazy spin out of Jacy before leading her down into a dip. “Suppose one display deserves another.” He gave her peck on the lips, well maybe a little longer than what one would consider a peck before bringing the girl upright. “Homeward bound then.” Vas said rather pleased with himself and he escorted his girl back to the ship.